KTM 1290 Super Duke R | Birth of the Beast Video

When the 2014 KTM 1290 Super Duke R finally broke cover in October via a dedicated microsite, we were eager for the launch.

KTM wasted no time; three weeks after the unveiling, KTM held the launch in Spain. And following two days of riding on the beautiful roads of Malaga and the Ascari track, the new 1290 Super Duke R easily earned our respect. KTM achieved the impossible, offering the perfect balance of all-out hooliganism combined with ultimate street comfort.

Most wouldn’t expect this type of balance out of a 416-lb. naked with 106 ft.-lb. of torque, but the Austrian-based KTM delivered this…and more (read our full review here).

Of course, much work was put into achieving this type of rideability from a naked sportbike. KTM exposed this sentiment in its latest video, rightly titled “The Birth of the Beast.”

In this video, the designers and others discuss the creation of the Super Duke R, from garnering the most useable power from the RC8-derived V-twin to developing KTM’s first-ever single-sided swingarm to optimizing proportion.

As KTM says in the video, “The visionary design of KTM hinges on reduction of design to the absolute minimum – the beast took this even further.” After getting some insight from this video, we agree.